The one you know.
The one you love.
Peppermint is one of the most popular essential oils by far. It’s topical use when diluted properly provides a cooling effect, making it great for itchiness, inflammation, headaches, and is commonly used to help with sore muscles. For adults: add a bit of Peppermint oil to your aloe vera to help with a really bad sunburn. Trust us… IT HELPS!
But, why does it have this cooling effect? Let’s dive in. :)
Peppermint essential oil’s main constituent (the highest chemical peak on a GC/MS report) is Menthol. Menthol is responsible for the cooling feeling against your skin when you apply peppermint topically. Though it may feel like it, peppermint does not actually reduce the skin's temperature. Instead, it reacts with the calcium current in our nervous system, which is dedicated to conveying temperature. The receptor responsible for this communication is called TRPM8 and is found in all cold sensing nerve cells.
When menthol reacts with TRPM8, it somehow magically activates this receptor, creating a “cold” feeling on our skin. This is why, even when at room temperature, peppermint makes your skin “feel” cold.
WOW. Right? We’re really learning a lot together!
Time to restock YOUR peppermint essential oil? Jade Bloom carries 100% pure, GC/MS test peppermint essential oil.
